Housing Costs

The silver lining to falling home prices - which have caused so much distress nationwide - is more affordable housing. But a new study suggests that costs are actually mounting for a growing number of people here. The nonprofit Center for Housing Policy's report, released Thursday, found that more middle- and lower-income workers were spending over half their income on housing expenses last year than at the peak of the housing bubble. That was true for 20 percent of these workers in Maryland last year, up from 16 percent in 2005.

Local officials are voicing concerns about the fiscal and economic impact of a state plan to require less-polluting septic systems on all future homes built beyond the reach of sewers. In a letter this week to the General Assembly's Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review Committee , the Maryland Association of Counties said it's concerned about the O'Malley administration's proposed regulation requiring every new home built on septic use "best available technology" systems that release less nitrogen into ground water and the Chesapeake Bay. While not outright opposed to the requirement, the county group says local health departments believe they'll be forced to hire additional people to inspect construction sites and enforce the regulation.  Leslie Knapp, the association's associate director, also contends that requiring nitrogen-removing systems, which cost twice as much as conventional septic, could hurt local economies.  The septic requirement, when combined with a new energy-efficient building code and requirements that all new homes be equipped with fire sprinklers, could "substantially increase the cost of housing in rural jurisdictions at a time when individuals and families can least afford it," according to Knapp.

A broad swath of workers in the Baltimore region — including those landing jobs in the sector doing the most hiring these days — do not earn enough to afford a home or even to rent a two-bedroom apartment on their salaries alone. That's the conclusion of a study released today by the Center for Housing Policy. The Washington-based nonprofit reports each year on whether workers in common occupations that typically require no more than a bachelor's degree can find housing that doesn't take up a huge chunk of their income.

Rough economy notwithstanding, more Baltimore homes were getting face lifts at the end of the last decade than the start. That's one of the bits of intel from the newest Vital Signs , an ongoing effort by the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance at the University of Baltimore to shine a light on how the city is changing. Statistics range from crime rates to employment rates . (City residents -- pick your neighborhood from the Vital Signs map , and you can see where things stand near you.)

WASHINGTON -- Saying that zoning laws and other restrictions add as much as 35 percent to the cost of an American house, a presidential commission calls unnecessary regulation one of the chief barriers to affordable housing.The commission proposes denying federal housing money to state and local governments that ignore its recommendations. Its report was to be released in a White House ceremony today, indicating that it has the support of President Bush.While the report examines a wide range of regulatory barriers, its main criticisms are focused on suburbs that use zoning and building codes to keep out the less wealthy.

If you're not spending a bundle on housing costs but still feel pinched, you probably don't live close to your job. The Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology says many places that appear affordable really aren't once you factor in transportation costs . Three out of four communities in the country have typical rent and home prices that don't require more than 30 percent of a typical household's income, a common affordability measure....

Here are answers from members of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants to readers' tax questions. The Sun will publish answers through April 15.Q: Is there a limitation on temporary housing costs of $1,500? If costs exceed that amount, is the excess amount allowed to be carried over into the subsequent year as a deductible item? Are temporary housing costs part of moving expenses?A: For years up to and including 1993, temporary housing costs incurred as job-related moving expenses are deductible, subject to certain limitations.

Your report using the figure of $220,000 for the "average sale price of a typical home" tells us nothing about what workers in relatively low-paying jobs can afford ("Housing costs out of reach for many Maryland workers," July 21). How about a more useful story about the difficulties ordinary people face in finding affordable housing? And stop using averages for housing costs and give us the median numbers. In the future, take the time to do a more in-depth look at your subject before publishing an alarming but not so useful article.

How many people spend more than half their income on housing costs? More than you might think. In the Baltimore area, one in five households with workers pulling down middle-income or lower-income wages fell into that pinched group in 2010, according to a new report by the Center for Housing Policy . That's nearly 85,000 households "severely burdened by their housing costs. " But it's not quite as bad as the nation overall, with nearly one in four of what the center dubs "working households" falling into that category.

The loan limit for Federal Housing Administration insured loans for single-family homes in the Baltimore metropolitan area has been raised from $171,475 to $178,600, a 4.2 percent increase. The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which administers loans insured by the FHA, said loan limits nationwide for single-family homes would range from $121,296 where community housing costs are low to $219,849 in areas with high housing costs. That's an increase from last year when single-family loan limits ranged from $115,200 to $208,800.

The notion that poor students are less likely to have access to high-quality educational options isn't new, but a report released today by the Brookings Institution sheds light on a factor that hasn't yet been highlighted as a driver of the achievement gap. The report examined test scores and housing costs in 100 of the largest metropolitan regions in the nation, including the Baltimore-Towson area, and found that  stringent zoning...

If you're not spending a bundle on housing costs but still feel pinched, you probably don't live close to your job. The Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology says many places that appear affordable really aren't once you factor in transportation costs . Three out of four communities in the country have typical rent and home prices that don't require more than 30 percent of a typical household's income, a common affordability measure....

How many people spend more than half their income on housing costs? More than you might think. In the Baltimore area, one in five households with workers pulling down middle-income or lower-income wages fell into that pinched group in 2010, according to a new report by the Center for Housing Policy . That's nearly 85,000 households "severely burdened by their housing costs. " But it's not quite as bad as the nation overall, with nearly one in four of what the center dubs "working households" falling into that category.

Your report using the figure of $220,000 for the "average sale price of a typical home" tells us nothing about what workers in relatively low-paying jobs can afford ("Housing costs out of reach for many Maryland workers," July 21). How about a more useful story about the difficulties ordinary people face in finding affordable housing? And stop using averages for housing costs and give us the median numbers. In the future, take the time to do a more in-depth look at your subject before publishing an alarming but not so useful article.

A broad swath of workers in the Baltimore region — including those landing jobs in the sector doing the most hiring these days — do not earn enough to afford a home or even to rent a two-bedroom apartment on their salaries alone. That's the conclusion of a study released today by the Center for Housing Policy. The Washington-based nonprofit reports each year on whether workers in common occupations that typically require no more than a bachelor's degree can find housing that doesn't take up a huge chunk of their income.

The silver lining to falling home prices - which have caused so much distress nationwide - is more affordable housing. But a new study suggests that costs are actually mounting for a growing number of people here. The nonprofit Center for Housing Policy's report, released Thursday, found that more middle- and lower-income workers were spending over half their income on housing expenses last year than at the peak of the housing bubble. That was true for 20 percent of these workers in Maryland last year, up from 16 percent in 2005.

How much house can you afford? That's an important question for anyone planning such a purchase.A rule of thumb says a person can afford a house that costs up to 2 1/2 times his annual gross income (the amount you make before taxes are deducted). Therefore, if you made $40,000 a year, you would be able to afford a house that costs up to $100,000.But that rule doesn't always work. If you have a lot of other bills, you might be better off with a less expensive house.Basically, lenders use two guidelines to determine what size mortgage you can afford:* Your monthly housing costs (mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance)